Video games which involve one character or symbol chasing another character or symbol on a path or grid are well known. One character or symbol represents the player, and the other character or symbol represents an opponent. The player symbol is usually initially positioned ahead of the opponent symbol. The player's goal is to advance along the path without being caught by the opponent. Typically, as the player advances, the player receives various points. When the opponent symbol catches the player symbol, one of several events may occur, depending upon the type of game. For example, the game may terminate, the player may lose a life or the player may lose points. If the opponent symbol causes the game to terminate, the opponent symbol may be viewed as a terminating symbol.
Terminating symbols are found in contemporary gaming devices such as slot machines which include a primary game and a bonus round. After a player achieves a certain level of success in the primary game, these games award players with an opportunity to gain bonus values in a bonus round. Some current bonus schemes enable a player to choose from a group of symbols. Often, one or more of the symbols are terminating symbols. In existing gaming device bonus schemes, the location of the terminating symbols does not vary from the beginning of the bonus round to the end of the bonus round. This is because the terminating symbols do not move during the bonus round. European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 filed on Mar. 18, 1999 and assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. discloses a bonus scheme generally of this type.
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide slot machine players with bonus schemes which involve the movement of terminating symbols. In particular it is desirable to incorporate into a bonus scheme, the movement of a player symbol and a terminating symbol in a chase game. As players wait to see when their symbol will be caught while obtaining awards during the pursuit, players feel a heightened experience of anticipation and excitement.